Read Online Galloping Gold by Terri Farley - Free Book Online

long.
    Like it had tentacles, she mused, and then, as Jonah turned left toward the Zinks’ driveway, she saw movement in the shade of the lehua trees.
    In an instant, she saw Patrick’s white pith helmet. She wished Jonah would slow down. Patrick was out of his walking cast and just on crutches and he was trying to hop out of the way. But he couldn’t move too fast. Maybe not fast enough! Jonah would hit him if he—
    â€œWatch out!” Darby yelled.
    Jonah slammed on the brakes and yanked the steering wheel to avoid Patrick.
    â€œKilled the engine,” Jonah said, but his hands shook as he restarted the car. He looked at Darby to ask, “He’s okay, yeah?”
    â€œSure,” Darby said, but her throat was so tight she barely managed it. If Patrick hadn’t used his crutches like a pole vaulter used a pole, Jonah would have run over him.
    She remembered thinking her first day on the island, when Jonah was driving with her to the docksto get Hoku, that Jonah wasn’t a bad driver, but he was jerky.
    Now that she knew Jonah had poor peripheral vision and had trouble seeing in low light due to an inherited disease, she wondered if that caused his uncertain driving.
    â€œLet it go,” Jonah snapped, and Darby realized that her hand had closed around the charm on her necklace. It was a winged gold heart the size of Darby’s little fingernail, and she had no memory of grabbing it.
    Darby opened her door. “Sorry!” she called to Patrick as she got out and opened the back door for him.
    â€œI could drive this road blindfolded,” Jonah muttered.
    â€œI know,” Darby said, but he couldn’t have seen Patrick and still come so close to him. “Here, I’ll take those.”
    As Darby took Patrick’s crutches, he leaned over and gave her a traditional Hawaiian greeting, kissing each of her cheeks before he clambered into the backseat.
    To be fair, Darby told herself, she didn’t know how to drive. Maybe Jonah’s mistake was one that could happen to anybody. But she didn’t think so.
    â€œHi, Mr. Kealoha,” Patrick greeted Jonah. When Jonah cleared his throat to speak, Patrick said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to near misses.”
    â€œHow’s the leg? You going to be working for myupstart sister anytime soon?” Jonah asked.
    Patrick had “degloved”—peeled back the skin on—one of his legs in an accident in the rain forest a month ago. Now he rolled on the backseat and bicycle-pedaled his legs in the air.
    â€œWhatever you’ve been doing, it looks like it’s working.” Darby tried to focus on Patrick’s elation, not Jonah’s failing eyesight.
    â€œMy doctor says I’ll be able to work at the resort in time for the August polo match,” he said in a fluttering voice. “You know, when Philippe comes home.”
    â€œAnn called and asked if Sugarfoot could hide out at my place,” Patrick announced. “I told her not unless I could see him in action. Of course,” he confided, “that was a fabrication. I would do anything for a friend. I’m loyal to a fault, my father claims, although I can’t think what he bases that on. Until recently, Mistwalker was my only friend.”
    â€œI’m not real hopeful we’ll change this horse,” Jonah said. He’d turned the Land Rover around and was looking both ways before turning onto the highway, even though there wasn’t another vehicle in sight. “If he’s too much for Wild Ann to handle, the beast is probably beyond breaking.”
    With a burst of acceleration that snapped both passengers’ heads back, Jonah drove onto the highway. Even though the Potters’ place wasn’t too far away, Darby crossed her fingers for luck.
    After they’d been driving for five minutes, Darbysaw her grandfather’s shoulders lower. He’d relaxed. Maybe he could see